Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-10
THAT DUCK POND
BY r. r. BURTON.

rCeDv-zktsd Iss-.l
twas evening; or 70 be more exact, II
was about to be evening.
The sun was just about 10 set, tne
.BoHers were getting ready TO fold their
petals for the night, aud the poultry were
Ranking Of climbing 70 the roost. Again,
10 be exact, it should be said that only a
small portion Of the vegetable world was
contemplating the action suggested
ABOVE; for It was autumn, and most OF the
f1owers lad blown long since in beauteous
bIossoms, and more recently had blown
themselves upon a fertile soil in fufy.
reproductive pods and fuzzy seed yes
sells, A few last roses Of summer and
lank but gorgeous golden rods stood
ahivering on the brink OF winter in
XII Of free-to-all contest TO see which
could hold out the longest
A hmpid stream coursing laZily
Through grove gave belAted green to
the grasses that bathed their roots in its
basin, and came TO an expansive pause in
an artificial pond where hlypads -four
Ished and bull frogs sang 10 the departing
day.
A wee Whit Of breeze, born OF two
eioudlets, came whispering down n TIE
<wfthsring leaves OF great OAK and play
fully pushed an acorn from its stem. The
hard brown nut fell to the ground wita
4 ID nd that caused slight start to agitate
wistful girl who sat gazing al the pond.
4ne stream. the flowers and the sky with
out seeing any Of them. There was
book OF waiting IN her eyes, and fiutter-
ing Of expectancy and dread at her heart
n HVgpg recalled
her absent spirit to the trysting place
Then she searched the grove with Der
love-lil eyes and sighed 70 see not wAai
she sought.
1t was evening, sure enough, when the
Young man came. The sun bad blinEed
q farewell peek -a-bOo at his friends by
the stream in the grove, and the chill
an autumn night came bristling up from
the ground.
"AIbertp' exclaimed the young girl,
rising impulsiyeIy.
He stopped in his slow walk while vel
several ieet distant and cast his eyes
down.
"well, Hildreth," be said quietly.
"You have seen him"
shave, HildI eth"
''And be refusedW
A snudder and a silent bowling Of the
head was the young mans answer.
"Why, why" mosned HIldr-tn, "Why
die be refused What did De sayT"
''He said" answered Albert, raising his
head for the first time, that / was not
only q poVerty-stTicken scnOolmaster.
but a teacnsf OF public school under d
system he despises, and that l had taken
an ungrateful advantage Of the dignity
of my station 70 presume to love hiss
daughter. | would have shown him how
illogical mis- reasoning was, but woen 1
tried to frame a syllogism, ne ordered me
from the house, never to appear there
again"
"And he ordered you also never 70 see
mew
ale did, Bildreth."
Then hldreth, too, looked down, and
the silence was so great that the darn
ness could be heard gathering in the tree
tops. AT last sue looked up.
AREN'T you going to come near me,
Albert % she said.
'But your fathers commando be
queried, while joy and despair Wrestled
for mastery In his heart.
"My father may command himself; his
daughter will command herself. And
aren't you breaking DIS command just
as much IN standing there as you would
here beside mer'
Albert dashed forward into the shadow
ef<tde great Oak. There was a dim -four
ieaing OF arms, and presently resound-
ing smack that made the wee whit VI a
breeze laugh, and another acorn tum bled
90 The ground.
1t was a black night when the lovers,
driven partly BY sense Of duty and
partly by toe cod, thought OF separating.
Albert u ind his way - the village. Hi
nreth 70 cross the familiar Deid. VI Der
fathers estate 10 the great mansion.
They paused at the shore Of the pond
Albert thought be saw lone, late water
lily almost within reach. IL was In re-
atty frostbitten, yellow pad, but A.
bert believed 1t was a blossom, and Ne
looked upon u with longing.
"Hildretb," he said, "let me give you
that flower TO keep 10 token VI our hope
and perseverance,"
Forthwith he reached out with bis
cane, aiming 10 eaten TIE crook round tue
stem Of the nly ana draw At towards him
until he could grasp II. The supposed
blossom was easily caught, but its slip
perry stem slid OF the nook and the pad
Heated back 10 It's place. Albert made a
cOnVulsive grasp after IT. as II slipped
away and speedily and directly followed
bis cane Into the water. IL was deep. and
he disappeared with great splash into
the darkness and the pond.
"Ahl Alb! ah amp These were Dlerc.
ing shrIeks that rent tue air from Hll-
areth's throat. The impulse % leap In
alter her lover was great, but she was
saved the sacrifice wnen Albert came
wheeling ana choking 10 the surface ana
cried out that she must not be- afraid
that ne could swim. The watts WAS NOT
over bis head. but the mud that nOurished
the lily roots was soft and deep, and he
could with the greatest difficulty az
proacb tue bank. A minute passed anKi-
Dualy bys then be reached out bis hand
and Hiidfeth grasped IL. in vain sue
lvggod; the mud would not yield and Al.